Least Free States 2026
Freedom Rank
10th
20th
30th
40th
50th
State | Freedom Rank 2023↓ | Change in Freedom Rank Since 2016 2023 | Fiscal Policy Rank 2023 | Personal Freedom Rank 2023 | Regulatory Policy Rank 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | New York | 50th | 49th | 50th | 48th | |
 | Hawaii | 49th | 50th | 46th | 45th | |
 | California | 48th | 41st | 26th | 50th | |
 | Oregon | 46th | -6 | 42nd | 9th | 46th |
 | Maryland | 45th | 1 | 24th | 32nd | 47th |
 | Delaware | 44th | -3 | 44th | 47th | 33rd |
 | Vermont | 43rd | 2 | 46th | 4th | 44th |
 | New Mexico | 42nd | 58th | 5th | 35th | |
 | Rhode Island | 41st | -2 | 27th | 33rd | 43rd |
 | Mississippi | 40th | 3 | 45th | 36th | 15th |
 | Washington | 39th | -5 | 32nd | 24th | 41st |
 | Minnesota | 38th | -1 | 39th | 22nd | 34th |
 | Illinois | 37th | 7 | 25th | 30th | 38th |
 | Connecticut | 36th | -10 | 17th | 43rd | 40th |
 | West Virginia | 35th | 3 | 40th | 14th | 29th |
 | Maine | 34th | -2 | 37th | 3rd | 39th |
 | Nebraska | 33rd | -3 | 47th | 20th | 2nd |
 | Louisiana | 32nd | -7 | 26th | 29th | 31st |
 | Ohio | 31st | -2 | 20th | 40th | 32nd |
 | Massachusetts | 30th | -9 | 8th | 25th | 42nd |
 | Iowa | 29th | 4 | 43rd | 19th | 3rd |
 | New Jersey | 28th | -7 | 28th | 48th | 49th |
 | South Carolina | 28th | -2 | 33rd | 35th | 13th |
 | Kansas | 27th | -9 | 38th | 31st | 1st |
 | Wyoming | 26th | 10 | 36th | 41st | 5th |
 | Kentucky | 25th | 6 | 23rd | 45th | 11th |
 | Alaska | 24th | -10 | 34th | 10th | 27th |
 | Arkansas | 23rd | 5 | 22nd | 44th | 14th |
 | Alabama | 22nd | 19th | 37th | 25th | |
 | Texas | 21st | 3 | 12th | 49th | 22nd |
 | Utah | 20th | -3 | 35th | 28th | 8th |
 | Oklahoma | 19th | 8 | 29th | 23rd | 20th |
 | Montana | 18th | -3 | 14th | 17th | 36th |
 | Wisconsin | 17th | 3 | 30th | 21st | 9th |
 | North Carolina | 16th | 3 | 21st | 16th | 26th |
 | North Dakota | 15th | 1 | 31st | 13th | 12th |
 | Virginia | 15th | -7 | 15th | 38th | 18th |
 | Pennsylvania | 14th | 9 | 5th | 27th | 37th |
 | Colorado | 12th | -5 | 16th | 7th | 28th |
 | Missouri | 11th | 2 | 7th | 15th | 30th |
 | Idaho | 10th | -2 | 11th | 42nd | 4th |
 | Arizona | 9th | 18th | 6th | 19th | |
 | Georgia | 8th | 2 | 6th | 34th | 7th |
 | Michigan | 7th | 4 | 13th | 8th | 17th |
 | Indiana | 6th | 9th | 11th | 10th | |
 | South Dakota | 5th | -1 | 4th | 18th | 6th |
 | Tennessee | 4th | 1 | 2nd | 39th | 16th |
 | Nevada | 3rd | 10th | 1st | 23rd | |
 | Florida | 2nd | 1st | 12th | 21st | |
 | New Hampshire | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | 21st |
- All scores are expressed as rankings, with the best-performing state earning a rank of 1 and the worst-performing state earning the rank of 50.
- The freedom rankings are the compilation of more than 230 policy variables drawn from more than 20 categories, including political campaign finance, labor, education, healthcare, gun laws, gambling, marriage, and land use.
In the United States, the concept of freedom varies greatly from state to state, with each state implementing its own policies and regulations that shape the level of individual liberty experienced by its residents. A comprehensive assessment of freedom across the nation reveals significant disparities, with some states ranking notably lower than others in terms of overall freedom. This ranking is determined by analyzing more than 230 policy variables from various categories, including political campaign finance, labor, education, healthcare, gun laws, gambling, marriage, and land use.
Interestingly, while some states consistently rank among the top for freedom, others find themselves at the opposite end of the spectrum. These “least free” states are characterized by a combination of restrictive policies and regulations across multiple domains. Factors such as stringent labor laws, limited access to healthcare, and restrictive gun legislation contribute to the lower rankings observed in these states.
